ecks the _Nassau-Suffolk Union List
of Serials_ and other tools. When an item is located, the clerk calls,
teletypes a message, or sends a copy of the request to the prospective
lender to see if the item is actually available.

The INS staff tries to maintain a balance between locating the needed
items most efficiently and at the same time spreading the load so that
the larger libraries are not overburdened with requests and so that all
libraries are given a chance to build up credits.

Each time we check with a prospective lender, a notation is made on the
interlibrary loan form indicating the library's name and response. If
"yes," arrangements are made for pickup. If "no," the search goes on.
"Maybe" takes a little longer; although the item is in the catalog, the
shelf must be checked to see if the volume is available for loan or
photocopying.

When a loan is arranged, the clerk prepares the interlibrary loan forms
(still intact) for the driver. Having begun her run in the morning,
delivering books and copies picked up the previous day, the driver
returns to the LILRC office in the early afternoon with that day's
deliveries and pickups. The driver collects the day's batch of slips
and prepares her itinerary for the next day.

Copies of the interlibrary loan form are used as follows:

_Serials_ _Books_

white Sent to lending library pink

yellow Inserted into each book delivered yellow
to borrowing library or clipped
to copy of article

pink Filed by name of borrowing library white
in LILRC circulation file,
used for statistics, then filed

gold Returned to borrowing library with gold
bill unless retained by library
before submitting request to LILRC

If an item is not located at a member library, the request is
considered for transmission to the State Library in Albany and the
NYSILL network or to the Regional Medical Library network. Certain
categories of requests may be submitted to the State Library but are
not normally eligible for transmission to NYSILL, such as: fiction,
text books, current publications and those in popular demand, rare
books, genealogy, children's books, multi-volume sets, reference books,
non-research books (self-help, recreation, etc.). Interlibrary loan
librarians should familiarize themselves with the